Louisville’s running back room is drawing plenty of attention again, and the ACC Network just turned up the volume on the praise.
With Week 1 closing in and the Cardinals set to meet Ole Miss in Tennessee on Sept. 6, Louisville is trying to push beyond another nine-win season under Jeff Brohm.
The program has its eyes on the ACC Championship game and the College Football Playoffs, and the offense is a big reason why. Brohm added Tre Richardson and Lawayne McCoy on the outside, brought in Lincoln Kienholz at quarterback from Ohio State, and kept the backfield loaded.
That backfield has already been singled out by CBS Sports as one of the top five in the country, and ACC Network analyst Eric Lain made it clear he thinks Louisville’s group belongs near the top of the sport.
“The best thing about this team this year is this running back room,” stated Eric Lain. “I mean it might be as dynamic as it gets in the entire country and it is led by Isaac Brown.
This is a guy who can score from 90, he can score from one, and everything in between. He is such a good player.
And such a vital piece of this program.”
Isaac Brown missed five games last season because he was banged up, but when he was on the field, he was electric. In eight games, he averaged 8.8 yards per carry and finished with 884 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
His freshman year was even more eye-opening. Brown ran for 1,173 yards at 7.1 yards per carry, set Louisville’s true freshman rushing yard record, and won both ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year.
Brown isn’t carrying the load alone, either. Louisville also has Keyjuan Brown and Marquise Davis, and that depth is a big part of why the room keeps getting singled out.
“He also has help. That is a table of backs in that backfield. I know coach Brohm doesn’t want to run it 100 times a game, but when you have guys this good, you've got to maybe over commit to that,” stated Lain later on.
Keyjuan Brown backed up that talk with production of his own. He rushed for 704 yards last season and averaged 7.3 yards per carry.
With Isaac Brown and Duke Watson dealing with injuries, Keyjuan Brown stepped into a bigger role and delivered, topping 94 rushing yards in each of his final five games. Over his final three, he went for 136, 135 and 112.
Then there’s Davis, the Missouri transfer who arrives as a 4-star addition. He was a 4-star recruit out of high school, ranked No. 162 overall and No. 11 among running backs in the 2025 recruiting class. In his final two high school seasons, he piled up 3,800 rushing yards and 58 touchdowns, and he is expected to give Louisville valuable depth this season.
Between the star power at the top and the depth behind it, Louisville’s backfield is getting the kind of notice that travels fast. The ACC and the rest of the country have been warned.
In Other News...
Louisville Fans Have One Big Question About Darrian Tomlins Commitment
Darrian Tomlin heads into his final high school season with plenty of attention already in place. The Woodford County linebacker and Louisville football commit turned in a strong junior year after missing his sophomore season with an injury, and his return gave the Cardinals another reason to feel good about the local talent theyve been able to land. He played both sides of the ball last fall, showing the kind of versatility that makes him such an intriguing piece for the future.
There is still a little recruiting drama left, though, because Tomlin has not fully shut the door on the process. Louisville has built a strong relationship with him, but other programs have stayed in the mix as well, and that leaves one obvious question hanging over his senior year: how firm is the commitment, and how much more will the Cardinals have to hold off before this one is truly settled? [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kelsey Faces His Biggest Louisville Recruiting Test Yet
Louisvilles 2027 board is already taking shape, and Pat Kelsey is in the middle of a recruiting race that could say plenty about where the program is headed. The Cardinals are pursuing several high-level targets, including five-star point guard Reese Alston, while also staying active with the classs biggest names as they try to keep momentum going after a strong start on the trail.
The toughest swing may be CJ Rosser, the No. 1 overall recruit, whose recruitment has drawn a national crowd and plenty of attention from the schools he has visited more than once. Louisville is still in the mix, helped by a familiar connection through Obinna Ekezie Jr., Rossers former teammate at Southeastern Prep, but the early buzz around this one has made it clear the Cardinals have work to do if they want to turn a good impression into a real edge. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Pate Just Fueled Louisville's Biggest Breakthrough Debate
College football analyst Josh Pate has added fresh fuel to the Louisville optimism around the program, and it comes at a time when the Cardinals are trying to turn last seasons progress into something bigger. Pate pointed to the transfer portal haul and the return of key pieces such as Isaac Brown as reasons Louisville should be better positioned in the coming season, with the ACC race and a possible double-digit win total both in the conversation.
The early schedule will help decide how real that buzz is. Louisville opens with Ole Miss and SMU in the first three weeks, so a fast start would go a long way toward backing up the idea that this team can push beyond last years mark and stay in the hunt for the ACC Championship. [Read more 🡒]